Watch The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers Online - Full Episodes

More than just a cartoon, The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers is a cult classic of 80s animation and some of the most influential children's programming of the era. Not only did it launch a new wave of production in the pre-digital world of animation, but it combined the concepts of sci-fi and spaghetti westerns long before other directors would make the fusion famous. It even introduced "anime style" to American audiences with the help of a Tokyo-based production company!Galaxy Rangers follows the adventures of BETA, the Bureau for Extra-Terrestrial Affairs. The year is 2086 and interstellar travel has opened the skies of humanity to space and beyond, but with progress there also comes trouble. BETA is a special government unit tasked with responding to aliens, galactic crime and anything else that threatens the safety of the planet, especially the plots of the evil, far-reaching Crown Empire.

Leading the forces of BETA are the Rangers, a special group of heroes equipped with technology that allows them to fight Earth's battles on a more even playing field. Captain Zachary Foxx (Jerry Orbach) has an entire side made of bionics, and Walter "Doc" Hartford (Hubert Kelly) can use implants to control computers from anywhere in the world. Shane "Goose" Gooseman (Doug Preis) is a form of science himself, a failed genetic experiment to create super-soldiers. Rounding out the gang is Niko (Laura Dean), a butt-kicking psychic who can foil her enemies with martial arts and supernatural skills alike.

Galaxy Rangers is considered by fans to be a diamond in the rough, a show ahead of its time with innovative production and mature storylines. Unlike most cartoons of the 80s, the Rangers endeared themselves to adults as well as children with their sly humor, serious issues and internal continuity. They also refused to trademark themselves with toys and other catchphrases, a move almost unheard of at the time.

Though revolutionary, Galaxy Rangers had only limited success during its commercial run. It aired 65 episodes before being cancelled in 1989. It would take twenty years and a cult following before the Rangers enjoyed a wider audience of the Earthlings they swore to protect.